The Grave Visitor
by EllaPotter1988
Summary: Ginny comes to Harry with terrible news. He attempts to comfort her.


On a dark dismal evening, heavy rain poured through the streets of London. Outside the frosty windows of the Leaky Cauldron, dementors swarmed the streets. For a year the bleak weather had kept England in misery. The date was now September 1, 1997; Harry's seventh year would have started today if he were going back to Hogwarts.

Awaiting the arrival of Ginny Weasley, Harry was sitting in his room. Not ten minutes ago, Pig had brought him a hastily written letter from her that read:

Dear Harry,

I can't write much now. I'm on my way to see you. I will explain everything when I get there.

Yours,

Ginny

Harry felt as bad as the letter looked. Whatever the problem was must have been very serious, because Ginny's train back to school left this morning and apparently she hadn't left on it. Ginny was selected, after all, to help instruct younger students. Harry knew Ginny understood the importance of her going back, so why hadn't she left on the train? What was he not aware of? Few students were returning, but the governors believed it was important for the students to learn as much as they could with the possibility of attacks. Defense Against the Dark Arts would be the school's main focus this year.

For a month, he had been staying in London at the Leaky Cauldron. Ginny had never once come to see him. Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and he had always met at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, or he had come to see them at the Burrow. Nine in the evening was late for Ginny to be traveling alone and also late for her to be coming to see him; he wondered what was so important that it was necessary to say at this time of the night and couldn't wait for the morning.

With a small sound, Harry believed someone had knocked on the door, but he was disappointed once he opened it and no one was there. He sat down and rubbed his head, which was beginning to hurt from the worry he felt. He let his thoughts drift to Ginny. Seeing her frequently was nice as he missed being around her all the time and missed having her as his girlfriend. He smiled as he remembered Bill and Fleur's wedding.

With the court walking down the isle, the wedding procession had begun. First came a friend of Fleur's with Charlie Weasley, then Ginny and Ron, followed by Gabrielle, and then finally Fleur.

Focused on Ginny, Harry lost track of everything else that was happening. She was dressed in light blue dress robes that flowed perfectly down her figure in the gentle breeze. Her flaming red hair was up in a French roll and her bright brown eyes shone with happiness. Harry wondered whether she was happy because of the marriage or because Fleur would no longer be living at the Burrow. He chuckled, because the latter was probably more of the truth.

With a soft knock from the door, Harry ran to it. A pale, tearstained face greeted him as he opened the door; he felt like he'd been punched in the stomach. Ginny being upset was not something Harry was used to; it caught him off guard, and he didn't know how to handle it.

"What's the matter? You haven't been hurt, have you? Is Ron okay? Fred? George? Bill? Fleur…" Questions tumbled out of his mouth before he knew what he was saying.

"Harry, Harry wait. I'll tell you. Just give me a second," she said, taking a deep breath while she stepped inside.

Glancing at her as she came inside upset Harry. She looked completely disheveled; her hair was pulled into a loose, messy knot, and the brightness was gone from her eyes. Her whole body was shaking. He had never seen her this upset in the five years that he had known her.

Inside the room, Harry held out his arms and she gladly accepted his embrace. Figuring she needed to sit down, he led her to the couch. She held on to him for a while before he asked, "What's the matter darling?"

Between crying and deep breaths, Ginny muttered out, "Death Eater… dark mark… home." Beginning to shake harder, it was apparent that the reality of the situation just hit her when she spoke of it out loud.

"Whaaat? You, ah, can't be… Oh my…" He blabbered as images played in his mind showing the Burrow with the dark mark and bodies of the Weasley's lying in it.

Crying consumed them both, but wanting to be strong for her, he bit back the tears and asked, "Who… who was home?"

Then Ginny choked out, "Mum, Dad, n' Ron."

Harry was stunned. His best friend, her brother, was gone. Dead. How could he live without Ron? He wasn't even prepared for his death. He was his first friend; he just couldn't be dead.

And, and, the only real parents he had left: Ginny's parents. He thought, '_that cruel, unfeeling man_.' His hatred for Voldemort and the Death Eaters exceeded any other feeling at that moment.

Under his breath, Harry muttered angrily, "I'll kill him. I will." He began to sob and Ginny sobbed too. The shock of it all was too much to contain. Harry couldn't comprehend how Ginny had possessed the presence of mind to even get to the Leaky Cauldron and come to him after this happened.

After an hour or so of crying and unintelligible conversation, Ginny, frustrated, exclaimed, "Oh, Harry, I can't lose you too. I can't imagine living without my parents and… and Ron. Oh, I don't know what to do. You have never had your parents and I could never really imagine what it was like, but now…"

Her sobbing resumed, and it seemed endless, but Harry understood what she was going through. Holding her in his arms, Harry kissed the top of her head. After losing so many people, Harry understood that she needed him to be there for her, and he would never deny her that. She deserved so much more than he could give her; he would never deny her anything she really wanted.

After she had no more tears to cry, Ginny said, "Harry, I'm not going back to school. Not now, I'm going to come help you fight them. I couldn't go back to that school knowing that you are out there and you could be next," with a defiant tone.

Looking as if he was about to tell her no, Ginny jumped back in saying, "No, Harry, you aren't talking me out of this. I'm going to help you. I let you break up with me to protect me, but I'm not letting you do that again. I'm staying with you. I'm fighting. I have to avenge my family and I couldn't stand being away from you in times like these."

Knowing that there was no way he could stop Ginny, he sighed and said, "Okay, you can stay. I want you to. I just want you to be safe. I lose everyone I care about; I can't lose you too."

"Don't you think that is how I feel? I don't want to lose you. And if you die, I don't think I could live with the thought that I hadn't been there, fighting next to you. I want to be by your side and either be victorious with you or die trying."

After this, she became quiet and tried to relax in Harry's arms. His face expressed sheer love and concern for her. It told her all she needed to know. He knew how she felt; He also wanted to fight because of people he had lost.

He pulled her closer and they lay there tightly embracing each other for the rest of the night, content to be together, but upset over what had happened and what was to come.


End file.
